Are student loans the next debt bomb?

An increasing number of Americans are buckling under the weight of mounting student loan debt and the fallout could look a lot like the nation’s catastrophic mortgage meltdown, experts say, U.S. News reports. Total student loan debt has surged to more than $1 trillion over the past few years and with it the number of people seeking help handling their debt. More than 80 percent of bankruptcy attorneys surveyed by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys reported a “major” jump in student loan borrowers seeking help, according to a study released Tuesday.

“Take it from those of us on the frontline of economic distress in America: This could very well be the next debt bomb for the U.S. economy,” said NACBA president William Brewer. “What we are worried about is that we are looking at the next mortgage-style debt threat to the United States.”

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Tips for first-generation college students

The daughter of a factory worker and a stay-at-home mom, Teresa Heinz Housel became the first member of her family to go to college when she enrolled at Ohio’s Oberlin College in 1990, U.S. News reports. Now, she’s an associate professor of communication at Hope College in Holland, Mich., and coeditor of Faculty and First-Generation College Students: Bridging the Classroom Gap Together.

“I knew that I wanted more than what was around me–I read about people’s lives and I knew there was a lot more out there,” Heinz Housel says of her high school mindset. “I was really fortunate that I had mentors locally who really reached out to me and encouraged me to go to college.”

If you’re a prospective first-generation college student–or the parent of one–and are in need of encouragement, too, here are some of Heinz Housel’s insights and tips for tackling the pursuit of higher education……Read More

Social media means more than salary to some college students

Gabbi Baker, a student at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., is like many college students today: She is an avid user of social media, reports U.S. News. For Baker, it’s a habit more than a hobby; she says she constantly checks her networks for updates, sometimes going less than 10 minutes between visits to her Twitter feed.

“I’ve really found [social media] to be an instrumental tool in building my network and learning what I want to do careerwise,” the senior business and marketing major says. “I think social media will continue to remain important to me as I move on to my first job.”

If faced with a job offer from a company that restricted access to social media websites in the workplace, Baker says she would be hesitant to accept it.…Read More

What are some tips for international students applying to U.S. colleges?

College admissions is a tough game. Even the most proactive, organized, and prepared students need help with their applications, essays, and financial aid forms, U.S. News reports. Add the complexities of applying to colleges from another country, and the process can become downright unbearable. This week, we ask:

Q: What are some tips for international students to keep in mind and how are they evaluated compared to U.S. students?

A: Three things matter for U.S.-aspiring international students……Read More

The top U.S. universities

Princeton University tied Harvard University as the top-ranked National University in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 rankings of Best Colleges, reports the Huffington Post. Last year, Harvard stood alone as the best ranked National University, a category that encompasses large, research-oriented schools. No changes took place at the very top of the rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges—schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in liberal arts fields—as Williams College once again edged Amherst College for the highest rank…

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Defining the ‘best’ in colleges

Over the last month, the release of college rankings has created a mad rush among families of college-bound students to find validation for the colleges that appear on their emerging short lists, U.S News reports. Forbes, Newsweek, and the Princeton Review have all weighed in with their superlatives. And now the “grand-daddy” of ranking guides, Best Colleges from U.S.News & World Report, will be available for review Sept. 13. While critics argue that rankings adversely affect the college-going landscape by distorting institutional priorities and misplacing the emphasis in the choice of a college, their popularity is an ongoing testimony to the insatiable desire of many consumers to have the “best.”

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